Press Releases:

HRC Statement on Affordable Care Act Decision

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in a series of legal challenges to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, upholding the historic law passed in the last Congress to reform our nation’s healthcare system. As part of that reform, the Act created or paved the way for important new protections for and investments in the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people – among them nondiscrimination in accessing healthcare in the individual market, collection of critical LGBT health data, and an end to barriers to care for people with pre-existing conditions like HIV/AIDS. Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin issued the following statement:

“The Supreme Court’s decision means millions of Americans – including many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their families – will be better served by our nation’s healthcare system. The Affordable Care Act addresses a number of the barriers LGBT people face in obtaining health insurance, from financial barriers to obtaining affordable coverage to discrimination by insurance carriers and healthcare providers. While there is a great deal more that must be done to ensure that the health needs of all LGBT people are fully met throughout the healthcare system, today’s decision is an important victory in the fight for healthcare equality.”

Learn more about how the Affordable Care Act helps LGBT Americans here and more about HRC’s work to improve the health of LGBT people here.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

Contact HRC

Phone: (202) 628-4160
Fax: (202) 347-5323

To contact HRC please visit our contact us page. If you are a member of the media, you can reach our press office at: (202) 572-8968 or email press@hrc.org.

5 Things to Know about LGBTQ Issues

1. There are roughly 10 million LGBTQ adults in the U.S., or roughly 4.1 percent of the population.

2. Sixteen percent of same-sex couples are raising children according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2011 Current Population Survey.

3. There is no federal law that consistently protects LGBTQ individuals from employment discrimination; there are no state laws in 28 states that explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, and in 30 states that do so based on gender identity.

4. More than 50 anti-LGBTQ bills have been filed in 19 state legislatures in the 2017 state legislative session.

5. The FBI reported 1,167 hate crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity in 2015. This is likely a dramatic undercount since thousands of agencies didn't submit any data and reporting is not mandatory.